Troydin Te Amo has come a long way from the troubled young man he once was.
Nowadays the 19-year-old, who has had several brushes with the law and trouble with drugs, is loving his job as a youth mentor with Youth Quest, a programme for youth at risk.
At 16, Troydin was referred to Youth Quest by the Kapiti Police and Youth Aid. He had been in trouble at school, was abusing his mother and sisters and smoked ‘dope’ heavily.
As he says “I was right into crime and law-breaking, on the road to destruction”.
Troydin was one of four young people who graduated in Youth Quest’s first intake course. Although after this course he seemed to have it all sorted, he was to find the road was anything but smooth.
“It was an awesome feeling and achievement; I felt that I could do anything that I put my mind to,” he recalls.
“The first part of the course was on a retreat in the bush. Being out there with mentors who did not judge me and were there to help me, because they wanted to do that from their heart and not for money or anything, was really good. I learned to be independent, just changing my attitudes, getting along with other young people and mentors, and being part of a team. Getting into a routine and following orders,” he recalls.
“I gave my life to the Lord, for the reason that I felt in my heart that there is someone that loves, cares, and forgives us no matter what we do. I felt great, but my walk with the Lord wasn’t that great.”
Later on he got a building job -- “but after months had gone by I felt that the old lifestyle influences were creeping back in, and as a result I ended up losing my job. Aged 17, with no job and back to the same old behaviour, I was on the path to nowhere, getting back into crime, drugs, and abusing my mother”.
This resulted in Troydin being in “serious” trouble with Police.
“I felt I hit rock bottom and had let everyone down.”
He was given two options: either leave Youth Quest, or if he wished to remain with it he had to go to rehab.
“I was at a crossroads. I needed the help so I went away to Te Waireka for three months; while I was there I gave up smoking cigarettes. Even though I had no choice in going to the rehab course it was one experience that changed my life on how I viewed others and myself and my walk with the Lord. I read the Bible, and I introduced the Bible to a mate of mine in there. Out of the 15 people that were there, my mate and I were the only ones who lasted the three months. I knew that the Lord was with us.”
By the end of 2008 Troydin was back in the Kapiti Coast, where he became involved in Youth Quest again. Last year he graduated from two more of the programme’s courses and was offered a position as a staff member.
“It’s now one year, two months since I went to rehab and I continue to be free of smoking and drug-taking. It is great knowing people that support and stick with you in good and bad times. I get a buzz in what I do because I can relate in a lot of ways to what the young men of today go through and help out where I can. And knowing that we serve a mighty Lord, who is the God of second chances”.
Youth Quest’s Paul Fong says, “To see how far Troydin has come and how the Lord called him and then to see him today is amazing…”
“Troydin has on so many occasions prayed and seen God answer his prayers. Now other young men in this community are seeing these mentors and how much they have changed through their decision for God and are now making changes.
“So it’s a ripple effect which I hope will continue in years to come as we build these young men up as the foundation of this programme to serve God and take the reins of Youth Quest one day”.
